Jamie Condliffe

Above all else, it's probably the keyboard-come-cover of Microsoft's Surface that has garnered most attention since the tablet was first announced. Ironic, then, that some reports are cropping up that suggest it—quite literally—seems to be coming apart at the seams now it's seeing some action.

The killer (or be killed) feature of that new Microsoft Surface for Windows RT is its keyboard. The …
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Reports are popping up on Surface Forums which suggest that one of the edges of the tablet's keyboard can easily split open to expose a wire just days after purchase.

The Guardian reports that the problem has been observed by a number of users, including Tom Warren from The Verge. Each time, it's the same:

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The cover, which has an integral keyboard, begins to split at its seam where the device attaches magnetically to the main computer.

It's not obvious yet if this is a widespread problem, or if it's down to a small, faulty batch of keyboards. As the Guardian points out, though, posts on the forum suggest that users in both the US and the UK have reported the problem, so it's likely more of a problem than Microsoft would like.

Given where the fault occurs—on the side of the keyboard which attaches to the tablet—it seems likely that the problem could be a result of mechanical stress. If that's the case, the cover isn't doing too good a job of being a cover. If you've experienced a similar problem with your Surface, let us know. [Surface Forums via The Guardian]